Merry Christmas - 2010

My camera disappointed me with its quirks at the Christmas party. I took a bunch of photos, and hardly any turned out. They had shadows and strange lighting.

Melanie is seven months pregnant. We are all so excited to see little Carson in February.

We had a fun time eating, opening gifts, and visiting with each other.

12 Weeks to Go!

Here we are at Fetal Foto checking out little Carson. We could see him so clearly, and he looked very cute. Melanie looks pretty cute too. She is feeling great.

Thanksgiving Day - 2010

65 Years Old!

Well, I am officially an old person. Most of my readers are youngsters compared to me. One niece remarked to me, "Aunt Marilyn, you are the only Grandma I know who is writing blogs".

I read about an interview with the author Nora Ephron (69 years old). I very much related to her comments about getting older. "The worst part of aging is illness. What you have when you're 50--wrinkles and flab--seem so inconsequential compared to this lottery of who gets sick and who doesn't. An upside to aging is being wiser. But it's ironic, since at the age you're the wisest, you're also the dumbest since you can't remember the name of that book you just read."

65 serves well for me in several ways from a financial point. I go on Medicare instead of paying a huge amount for health insurance every month. Also, my retirement funds kick in at age 65. There are eating establishments that offer discounts to old people as well as parking spaces closer to the stores.

Most of you know this, but I will tell you that I now have a skin condition called lupus of the skin. It has posed numerous health issues; also, I really look awful with a red, itchy rash. I take prednisone which causes my face to have a "moon" look. There has been some improvement lately with various medications, so I'm feeling better on most days. One of the side effects of the disease is fatigue. Another is hair loss. Fun, huh!!

Where has all the time gone? I don't feel in my mind that I am older. I still feel young at heart.

Halloween Party - 2010

Paul's son, who lives in Bountiful, (he is also named Paul) invited us to a Halloween party today. We had a great time.

There were about 14 pumpkins carved by the grandchildren. My favorite was the one at the top of this post. Jessica came home from BYU-Idaho to visit her family. She carved my number one choice!

Five Months Down - Four to Go!

Melanie is proud of her big belly! She is now five months pregnant. Little Carson is kicking up a storm in there.

(Thanks to Natalie for the photo)

Beautiful Kolob Canyon

Last week we spent four days in Southern Utah enjoying the beauty of nature with our friends John and Sandy. Kolob Canyon is a short drive from Cedar City. The combination of magnificent red rock formations and the fall colors of the landscape created a sight to behold!

We also attended two plays at the Fall Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City: (1) Shakespeare's Pericles (2) The Diary of Anne Frank. Another day we drove to St. George and saw a play at the Tuacahn Theater that evening (Crazy for You). Again, what strikes me the most about that experience is the backdrop of nature's landscape at its very best!

Happy 15th Birthday, Jake

Happy Birthday to my grandson Jake. I remember vividly the day you were born, and how excited I was to meet my first grandchild. You were a cute little kid and now you are a handsome young man.

You have many talents to be proud of. One of the best is the way you treat people kindly. You are thoughtful and helpful to others. Other talents you have are swimming for West Jordan High School swim team, eight 4.0 grade-point average report cards in a row, muscial talent in piano and violin, and many more.

Have a great day. I will be thinking about you.

(When do you get your learner's permit? Now you get to scare your parents out on the highway like your mom scared me!)

A Trip to Salem, Oregon

We left on Friday for Oregon and came home Monday. Patti and Mike (Paul's youngest son) live in Salem with their two boys -- Keaton and Sullivan.

We had a great time getting reaquainted with the boys and seeing them so much more grown up. Keaton is now in first grade. He also plays soccer. Sully goes parttime to preschool.

The weather was beautiful. We left from a hot, dry 90 degrees to cool, pleasant 60 degree weather. The leaves were changing colors. Mike and Patti have a backyard with many tall, leafy trees in back that give them privacy and also a sense of being in a forest.

You can see in a few of the pictures above that Patti is patient and talented when it come to putting together complicated Lego sets. We brought the boys the legos and then Patti spent time (with the boys' help) making the pieces come alive.

Thanks to Patti and Mike for their hospitality. They have such a loving family. The boys are lucky to have such caring and devoted parents!

September 23rd - Happy Birthday - Nicole, Lucy, and Mike

Summer Fun

Our grandchildren, Bryce and Nicole, have gone boating with their parents for many years. It is obvious that they are very good at water sports.

Happy Birthday to my Wonderful Dad - 92 Years Old!

Megan's Baptism - September 4, 2010

A boy for Melanie and Wally

Melanie got a great early birthday present yesterday. She found out the sex of her baby. It's a little boy. We are all thrilled. He looked so cute zipping around in his holding tank!

September 1st - Happy Birthday, Melanie

Melanie has always thanked me for giving birth to her near or at the Labor Day weekend so she can celebrate longer!

The years fly by, and before you know it, your baby is 37 years old. That means 37 years of love and appreciation for a wonderful daughter and friend.

Melanie will be entering a new phase of life as a mother herself, and I know that she will be a loving and caring mother. No child could possibly be as welcome or as loved as Melanie and Wally's new baby will be.

How lucky I have been to share my life with Melanie. She is a tender-hearted, kind woman. She shines as a daughter, sister, wife, and aunt. Melanie holds a special place in the lives of Natalie's three children Jake, Derek, and Megan. She is a cherished part of our family tree.

A Celebration for Josh

My brother Allen and his wife Wendy have five sons. The youngest son, Joshua, returned from his LDS mission in England last week. All five sons have been on missions and all five are Eagle Scouts--quite impressive accomplishments for both the sons and their parents.

Paul and I accompanied my dad to Califonia (Newhall) to see my nephew Josh speak in church; we also attended an open house at the McKell home following the meeting on Sunday. We had a great time, and my 92-year-old dad kept up with the best of us! It was so good to spend time with Allen and his family. We don't see them very often, and so the trip gave us some good visiting time.

Josh looks older. He gave an excellent talk in church. He has really grown up a lot. He still has his sense of humor and zest for life, however. He told us a joke about a new missionary walking on the sidewalk on his first day of missionary work. His older and more seasoned senior companion pointed out a plane flying in the sky. He asked the 'greenie', "How far away do you think that plane is?" The greenie made a wild guess, and of course he was wrong. The senior companion then replied, "That plane is 24months away!"

We love Josh and are proud of his accomplishments in England on his mission. He will be attending LDS Business College here in the Salt Lake Valley this fall, so we hope to see him more often.

Megan is eight years old!

It is difficult to believe that eight years have passed since our Megan came into the family. She has been such a delight and joy!

I can't imagine what our lives would be like without Megan. She brings sunshine everywhere she goes, and she makes our days happier.

Today Megan started back to school. She is in third grade this year. Megan is an excellent student and really likes to read. She also likes to write stories and sweet notes to her family and friends. Megan's pictures fill her house with her creative art work.

I hope you had a good first day of school, Megan, and that you enjoyed a wonderful birthday.